GOP sweeps carbon county

Republicans take commission, state and federal seats

For the first time in more than 80 years, the Carbon County Commission will be made up of a majority of Republicans.

Casey Hopes defeated Democrat Mikel Johnson 3,904 to 3,265 to take the four year commission seat that had been in Democratic hands since Herbert Hoover was President. Hopes will join fellow Republican Jae Potter, who was elected two years ago. Potter was the first Republican elected to a county office since the 1940s.

Turnout was fairly light. Only a little more than half of the county's registered voters - 7,387 out of 13,822 - cast ballots. That is 53.44 percent.

In another stunning election night race, Republican Jerry B. Anderson beat out Democrat Christine Watkins for the District 69 Utah House seat, 6,243 to 5,958. Watkins, the only Democrat from a rural district in Utah, had served three terms in the House.

Changes in the district's boundaries last year took away some of Watkin's support from San Juan County and in turn part of Duchesne County was added to the district. In Carbon County, Watkins won 4,305 to 2,847. But Duchesne went largely Republican with 2,416 votes for Anderson and Watkins 782. Emery County voters also went for Anderson 256 to 125. Grand County favored Watkins with 746 votes to Anderson's 724.

This will be the first time that all of Carbon County will be represented by a Republican State House member since the 1930s.

In U.S. House District 3 Jason Chaffetz easily defeated Democrat Soren Simonsen 180,760 to 55,879. Carbon County went for Chaffetz, sending him back to Congress with 4,352 votes to Simonsen's 2,651.

While Republican Mitt Romney lost the Presidential election to Barack Obama, in Carbon Romney took the majority of the votes, 4,834 to 2,204.

Orrin Hatch beat Democrat Scott Howell 4,196 to 2,690 in Carbon, while also holding on to his seat in the U.S. Senate. Hatch will start his seventh term in January.

Incumbent Governor Gary Herbert also won re-election statewide. In Carbon he got a vote of support defeating Peter Cooke 4,652 to 2,410.

Republican State Senator David Hinkins of Orangeville, who represents District 27, which includes Carbon County, also won easily over Michael Binyon of Moab. Hinkin's beat his Democratic opponent 23,769 to 9,283. In Carbon County, Hinkins recorded 4,753 votes to Binyon's 2,349.